Getting close now. You can feel it in your veins. Opening Day is approaching like a fast moving train. Pittsburgh Pirates. Chicago Cubs. April 1st. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. PNC Park will be alive. Expectations will be high. Fans of all stripes just might get a long for one day.

This orgy of humanity and fandom will come forth to see a duel of Major League titans. Well one guy that’s kind of a Major League Titan, the other was a wide receiver for the Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish.

That’s correct ladies and gentlemen and assholes we will be treated to a matchup between A.J. Burnett (16-10, 3.51):

Starting Sharkboy probably wasn’t the plan but with the injury to Matt Garza he was chosen to step up.

Bad news for the Buccos in some ways. Jeffy is 3-0 with a 1.16 ERA and a WHIP of .774 lifetime against the Bucs, allowing just 3 XBH against current Buccos.

Burnett has been no slouch against the Cubs himself, posting a record of 6-1 with an ERA of 3.04 and a WHIP of 1.172 lifetime against the Cubs. Last year he was a perfect 2-0, throwing a complete game shutout in one of his two starts against the Cubs.